


You or Me?

by bloatedpeep



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, pre-sword
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27813196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloatedpeep/pseuds/bloatedpeep
Summary: When Catra and Adora wake up in each other's bodies, at first, Catra is glad. Adora will finally have to experience the pain that she goes through everyday, and she can be the favorite for once. It's going to be great.It's not exactly great.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 136





	You or Me?

Catra's first movement of the day is bringing her hands up to rub the sleep out of her eyes. It takes her no more than a few seconds to bring the hands away in horror when she feels the fleshy, hairless nubs on her eyes. Did Lonnie follow through and actually shave her in her sleep this time? No, she curled up at the end of Adora's bunk last night. Thinking that, she realizes that she's no longer curled up at all, back parallel to the bed, and there's a large, warm weight resting on her ankles. She looks down to see-herself? Looking back at her hands, she sees no fur at all, just pale white and pink skin in the dimly lit room. Catra always woke up a few minutes before the dorm alarm, thankfully, because she thinks she might have screamed if she woke up to that blare in her best friend's body. 

_Her best friend's body. Holy shit._

She leans down, shaking her own shoulder, trying not to freak out. When her own two brightly colored eyes open up to stare back at her, she almost does start to freak out. Not before all the hair stands up on her body- is it still her body if she's not in it? And she watches herself tumble off of the bed. She grabs her own hand and drags Adora into the shared bathroom. 

"Adora?" She asks once the door is shut, just to make sure. She nods, and Catra breathes out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. Do you know what's going on?"

"No! I woke up and I'm- you??" Adora's breathing is heavy, she's examining herself, staring down at her clawed hands. "How do you retract these?" As soon as she says that, they retract. "Oh. Um. I'm still not sure I get it. But Catra! What are we going to do?" The panic in her eyes is odd. Of course, Catra is panicking, she just woke up and her and her best friend have switched bodies! But Adora's panic seems different. What could she be so afraid of? A thought, one of the sick ones that are growing more frequent for her, surfaces in her mind. Was Adora worried about being treated the way Catra is? A little thrill of pleasure runs up her spine. _Won't be able to ignore it now_. She feels a little guilty after that. Does she actually want Adora to feel the pain she feels? The alarm starts to blare and she shrugs it off, more important things to do. 

"Listen, we don't have any time now. Just try to act like me, okay? We'll meet back here at lunch." She says, and watches herself nod. She pulls Adora into a quick hug, and they're separated by the time that Kyle opens the door.

The day passes almost normally until lunch. They spend two hours in the training room like every morning, and Catra and Adora pair together. It's weird, their typical fighting dynamic in each other's bodies. They've always been rather evenly matched, Catra's natural skill as a Magicat against Adora's fierce drive and determination. In Catra's body, Adora should be unstoppable. But she's unused to it, the flexibility, she's clearly cautious and holding back, trying to still fight like a human. Catra is the opposite, limitations placed on her usual fighting style, struggling to keep up with Adora's equally clumsy moves. That day, instead of Adora like usual, Rogelio takes first on their placing charts. When Adora sees that, Catra watches her crumble with a small smirk. _Not so fun not being first all the time, is it?_

The other cadets don't seem to pick up on anything odd. They're nicer to her than usual, obviously, but they don't know that. Adora stays away for the most part, which is pretty in character for Catra anyway so it works. They're very tightly wound together, but that isn't out of character for them either.

They both wolf down their ration bars at record speed and leave the cafeteria together. They get back to their dorm and sit across from one another on Adora's bed, knees pressed together like they have their whole life. In these moments alone, Catra doesn't have any of her bitter resentment she feels when the others praise Adora. Right now, even through Catra's eyes, she's looking at her how Adora always looks at her, like she's the only person that's ever existed. There's a twinge of fear there too, though, and its confusing. 

"Catra..."

"Adora..." They say in unison. They grin at each other, each taking a breath. Adora nods at her, telling her to speak first. "You looked like a total dork trying to fight in my body." Catra says with a smirk that doesn't fall when Adora shoves her, grinning. 

"You didn't look any better!" She says, a light in her eyes that disappears far too quickly. "You can't go to my meeting with Shadow Weaver." She says, an intensity that Catra is startled to hear in her own voice. But it makes her realize, today is Thursday, their weekly performance reviews. Adora's was always last, Catra's right before her. Catra's reviews usually consisted of a lot screaming and once in a while a little bit of electric magic. Part of Catra is satisfied, glad that Adora will finally experience what Catra has been experiencing her whole life. The other part of her is terrified for her friend. These emotions distract her from the bigger picture, she doesn't keep wondering, _why does Adora look so scared?_ She simply passes it off with a bitter thought that maybe Adora knows what's in store for her. 

"I have to go, Adora. We both do." Adora grabs her shoulder.

"No Catra, I'm serious. Tell her you're sick or something. You can't go." She says, voice on the verge of desperate. Catra hates the way she's looking at her, even with her face, and shrugs the hand off of her. 

"Okay, okay! I'll do my best." Adora looks like she wants to press on, so Catra distracts her. "How did this even happen?" She says, looking down at her human hands. 

"I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this happening in any of the books I've read."

"Me either. What are we going to do?"

"Well, we have to keep acting like each other, right? Would anyone even believe us if we told? They definitely couldn't help us." 

"No, you're right. I guess-" She's cut off by the rumble of at least ten pairs of boots outside the door signaling that lunch is over, and they both stop and get up to join them.

When Adora is called for Catra's review, she smiles at her and gets up to go without any of the fear that she seemed to have before. Catra scoffs. Can she really be so oblivious? Still, she's worried. Adora, at the hands of that evil woman. Does Catra really wish that on her? 

Catra watches Adora leave the office. From the moment she does, her own multicolored eyes are fixed on her's, a desperate fear in them that doesn't make Catra happy. A deep guilt sets in on her, a self hatred that she's been ignoring and no longer can. Now that that selfish wish has been fulfilled, she wants to take back every time she'd ever wanted it. 

Her own clawed hand rests on her shoulder once Adora gets close enough, leaning down to whisper in her ear. 

" _Please_ , Catra. Get out of there as soon as you can." She says quickly before she keeps moving, back to the dorm for silent independent time. Catra watches her go, and is startled when she looks back, the same feral desperation in her eyes. Still, she can't bring herself to be very scared. What could Shadow Weaver do to her that would be worse than usual? Maybe Adora is just worried that Catra will see how good she has it. Catra decides that's what she'll go with, even if it doesn't feel right.

"Adora?" Shadow Weaver calls from the office. Catra stands, twisting Adora's face into a grimace and walking in, a hand on her stomach. She puts on her best obedient Adora act. 

"Good afternoon." She says politely. 

"Oh Adora, I'm glad to see you today. How are you feeling?" Shadow Weaver asks, with the most care in her voice Catra has ever heard from her. Catra doesn't think that Shadow Weaver has even ever once asked her how she was. 

"Actually, I've been feeling really sick today." She says, trying to master Adora's usual inflection. 

"I'm sorry dear, could that have anything to do with your poor results today?" Shadow Weaver places the chalkboard that had the day's training scores on it in front of her. Adora's name is third, behind Rogelio's and Catra's. Catra scoffs. Even in Adora's body she can't beat her. Then she chastises herself for the thought, hadn't she just decided to stop being so jealous?

"Yes, Shadow Weaver, I've been feeling off all day, I'm sorry." She doesn't know where the apology comes from, something about the new look in her masked eyes that Catra has never seen before that makes her uneasy. 

"You know I expect the best from you Adora, even when you're 'feeling off'." Shadow Weaver says, something akin to the cruelty Catra knows well in her voice, but different. 

"I know. It won't happen again." She says, and watches the eyes behind the mask narrow, fear settling in her gut. Why is she afraid? Shadow Weaver isn't going to hurt her. Not while she's in Adora's body, she wouldn't.

"It better not. Third, Adora? You even let _Catra_ best you. You know what I've told you about keeping her in line, Adora. Still, she was fairly well behaved during her own review, so I suppose you're getting somewhere with her." Catra grits her teeth, nodding along but not opening her mouth because she really doesn't trust herself not to snap. "Now, Adora, let us go." She stands, gesturing at Catra, and she does the same. This is new. Shadow Weaver had never taken her anywhere during a performance review. Anxiety builds in her chest, but she shrugs it off. She's Adora! Shadow Weaver isn't going to hurt her. 

Shadow Weaver leads her to her own quarters, somewhere Catra has never cared to venture, not even on her most mischievous days. She guides her to sit on her bed, which must be the side of at least three of their dorm beds, but still just as rock solid. As soon as she's sitting, her body is immobilized. She tries to open her mouth to question, object to whatever is happening, but she can't. Before she even has time to think or panic or even slightly process what is happening, Shadow Weaver's lips descend onto her's, and her mind stops completely.

She doesn't know how much time passes. She remembers Adora's reviews always taking a little extra time, but never thinking about it too hard. She's sure that even if she had, she never would have assumed it was for any reason like this. 

Maybe if she'd thought about it all, paid attention to it past how much she wanted to. Maybe she would have noticed. Maybe she should have. She's surprised, confused, but in some part of her, she's always known that how Shadow Weaver treated Adora was odd. She wasn't the nurturing mother figure Catra wanted so desperately, not even to Adora. _Definitely_ not to Adora. Again and again she thinks, _I have to get her out of here_. 

She's so consumed in all of her realizations that it takes a few minutes for her to realize what is truly happening to her. It clicks that this is what has been happening to Adora, but its her in Adora's body today, and this is her being tortured today.

When it's over, and Catra is walking into the dorm, she still doesn't feel like mobility has been restored to her body. She doesn't feel like she's in control, just watching Adora's feet step in front of her. Adora's huge feet. Adora. Catra wants to cry, but no tears come. Once she's in the doorway of the dorm, her eyes find her body, Adora, curled on their bunk, sobbing her eyes out. Thankfully there's no one else in the dorm when Catra runs over to her. She doesn't know what to say, but she puts a hand on her shoulder. Adora whips around, eyes wide, and Catra doesn't even have the time to think of something to say before her own arms are wrapped around her tight, sobs vibrating her chest. 

"Are you okay?" Her meek voice asks. Catra doesn't know what to say. 

"Okay?" She asks, like it was the stupidest question in the world. Maybe it was. Adora chokes out another sob, pulling away, but Catra can still feel the heat of her teary face. 

"I'm so sorry Catra. I shouldn't have ever even let you go in. I should have done more." She cuts off, more sobs. Catra is still frozen. Adora's voice gets weaker. "I didn't know what to do. Did she..." She can't manage the words. Catra knows how she feels, she can't say it either. She nods instead, and Adora wails. 

"How long has this been happening?" Is the first thing Catra manages to ask. How are they supposed to deal with this? How is she supposed to do this? 

"Since we started training as cadets." Catra swears, an infinite of ties connecting in her brain. Everything makes _sense_ now. 

"We're leaving, Adora." She says quietly. "We're getting out of here." She grabs her own face, its disconcerting, but still she presses Adora's forehead to her own and she starts to form a plan. They don't talk about all the elephants in the room, they just focus on one another and their planning. When their bunk mates come in they've missed dinner and they have to stop talking, but they're both alive with anticipation.

That morning, when Catra wakes up earlier than ever, it's in her own body. She stretches out her paws and whips her tail around a bit, getting the feel of herself again. She shakes Adora awake, who smiles softly at her as she blinks the sleep away. 

"Catra... its you."

"Of course it's me, dummy."

"I missed seeing you." She says, vulnerable in her barely awake state. Catra blushes, coughing a little, shaking her harder. 

"Come on, Adora. It's time to go." Adora seems more alert at that, cheeks pinkening a bit at her own actions. 

Adora steals a skiff key. Catra planned herself to do it, but Octavia is on shift and always seems to have a knack for knowing when she's sneaking around, so Adora takes on the job, promising that Catra can still drive it. That makes her eyes light up in the way that always seems to make Adora smile the softest smile, which always turns her stomach upside down. She smiles back though, glad that for once there's no underlying jealousy, bitterness. That's all gone now.

They speed towards the Whispering Woods, the one place that the Horde won't get to them in. Adora shouts at her to slow down once they're twisting through the trees, but she's having too much fun. At least, until Adora lets out a scream full of a lot less laughter than the last few. Catra all of a sudden sees the huge tree coming dead on that had looked like a shadow just a second beforehand. She swerves the skiff, but it doesn't matter, there's too much in the way and they hit something, both launching off of the skiff and falling through the branches to the ground. 

When Catra stands, she can't see Adora anywhere. She looks around, hollering her name until she finds her. She's in a clearing, lit with a blue light coming from a sword tethered to the ground in tree roots. A sword that Adora's hand was only a couple inches from. Catra starts to call her name, but a blinding light fills the clearing and she's knocked unconscious. 

"Catra!" Adora's voice brings her back to the world of consciousness. 

"Adora? What happened?" 

"I don't know, there was a sword and I heard a voice. I touched it and- I don't know what happened but it's gone."

"I saw it. It looked valuable. We should find it!" Catra says, a gleam in her eye that Adora matches. They set off to search. 

When they find the sword, barely a moment passes after they untangle it from the ground before a giant bug like creature erupts from the ground, charging at them. Catra leaps at it, swiping with her claws and keeping it distracted while Adora picks up the sword, fumbling to hold it steady. 

The beast manages to throw Catra off, sending her flying into a tree and knocking the breath out of her completely. It sets it's sights on Adora, and charges. She struggles but manages to lift the sword while Catra mentally begs her to _just get out of the way_. When the creature's leg descends apon Adora, Catra squeezes her eyes shut, unable to watch and unable to scream to her without any air in her chest. 

"For the honor of Greyskull!" The shout gets Catra to open up her eyes only in time to be flashed with a bright light that totally consumes Adora. When it dissipates, her best friend has transformed into a new version of herself, one that is way taller, brawnier, with massive flowing locks of blonde hair and glowing blue eyes. She's beautiful, and Catra's mouth opens in awe while she watches the creature stop and relax, sitting down on the ground. Adora looks down at herself and shrieks, dropping the sword and falling, transforming back into herself on the way. 

"What the hell happened to me?" She screams. 

"Looks like you're a princess, princess." Adora glares at her. 

"I am not a princess! Princesses are evil, am I evil?"

"Oh come on, don't tell me you actually believe all that crap that the Horde says all the time." Adora gawks at her, mouth wide. 

"What?" Catra laughs her regular maniacal laugh. 

"Come on, Adora. Lets's get you and your crazy sword to Brightmoon. We're going to join the rebellion and destroy the Horde." 

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me if you liked it, yeah? Idk if this is a one off or something I want to write more of but I'm not the most consistent so who knows


End file.
